Growing up in post-conflict Derry, you learn what it feels like when violence is close. When I encountered the problem of active-threat emergencies in American schools — and realised that most interior doors simply can't be quickly secured from the inside — it felt less like a business opportunity and more like a calling. I entered the industry cold, spoke with over 120 security experts, school administrators, and first responders to understand the problem from every angle, and built the entire commercial operation from scratch. The results followed.

I was working with the Migrant Impact Network — supporting Afghan refugees who'd fled war and needed full-time employment to secure their legal right to stay in the US. When the Tent Partnership for Refugees published a summit announcing 45 major companies committing to hire refugees, I saw the opening. I built the outbound list, cold called and emailed C-suite contacts through the Notre Dame alumni network, got in front of CXOs at Marriott, Choice Hotels and others, and closed deals that changed lives.